May 2025
As we ease into the warmth of May, the rhythms of the ranch are shifting with the season.
In our May 2025 newsletter, Doc Gonsoulin walks us through the final stretch of spring grazing and how we’re prepping summer pastures in Back to Basics. In News Roundup, you can learn about one of our newest vendors, Cypress Sugar Company. We're also including an invite to a very special event, Cowboy Night, to be hosted here in New Iberia on May 15.
Prepare for a deep dive into the power of antioxidants in Health and Wellness. Finally, In Chef's Corner, you're invited to savor the flavors of the season with a recipe for Slow-Cooked Grassfed Beef and Sweet Potato Mash. If you're inspired to try it out, we'd love your feedback!
Spring is winding down and the days are growing warmer. Out here at the ranch, we’re watching the last of our winter ryegrass begin to go to seed. For us, this is a clear signal that the season is shifting. We’ll continue grazing this lush cool-season forage for another two to three weeks before transitioning the herd to our summer pastures, where warm-season grasses like Bermuda and Bahia take center stage.
Right now, we’re actively preparing those summer fields. That means clipping the pastures — a simple but essential step that knocks back early weeds and encourages stronger forage growth. It’s all part of our holistic approach to land management: working in rhythm with the seasons, promoting healthy regrowth, and ensuring our cattle have access to the most nutritious forage nature can offer.
At Gonsoulin Land and Cattle, every pasture rotation is a reflection of our commitment to soil health, animal welfare, and sustainable agriculture. We don’t just raise cattle — we grow grass, steward land, and build resilience into every bite.
Thank you for supporting our ranch,
Sincerely,
Dr. Shannon Gonsoulin
Gonsoulin Beef Takes Center Stage at Cowboy Night
We’re proud to announce that Dr. Shannon Gonsoulin will be making a special appearance at Cowboy Night, a signature dinner event hosted by Pie Bar and Cane River Pecan Company in historic downtown New Iberia.
This one-night-only gathering will feature a chef-prepared meal highlighting Gonsoulin Beef, along with an evening of conversation and cocktails.
This invitation is open exclusively to you.
Only 40 tickets are available, and they’re being offered privately to our email list before the event is announced to the public. One week before Cowboy Night, we’ll open up remaining seats via social media—if there are any left. We expect it to sell out quickly, so keep an eye on your inbox for early access!
Location: 254 W Main St, New Iberia
Price: $135 per person (includes dinner and pairings)
To reserve: Call 337.547.2345 or email piebar@caneriverpecan.com
Space is limited-- you won't want to miss this iconic event!
Vendor Spotlight: Cypress Sugar Company
We’re excited to introduce a new local vendor you’ll now find at Gonsoulin Land and Cattle — Cypress Sugar Company, founded by Louisiana native Rivi.
Rivi’s passion for candymaking runs deep. Taught by her mother using a cherished family recipe passed down from her Grandmother Dean, Rivi made her first batch of pecan pralines at sixteen — and never looked back.
Today, Cypress Sugar Company creates a variety of handmade sweets, including pecan pralines, chocolate fudge, peanut butter fudge, caramel, coconut candy, and more.
What makes her creations even sweeter?
The ingredients are deeply rooted in local tradition: pecans from her uncle’s trees at E. Greig Natural Crafts, and pure cane sugar from her cousin’s sugar cane fields.
You can now find her famous pecan pralines, along with homemade fig preserves and strawberry preserves (all homegrown), right here at the Gonsoulin Land and Cattle farm store.
Looking for a custom order?
You can reach Rivi directly at (337) 441-1538 to place a personal order.
Come by, pick up a few of Rivi’s handcrafted sweets, and savor a true taste of Louisiana family tradition.
The Power of Antioxidants
When it comes to nutrition, most people have heard the word “antioxidants” — but what exactly are they, and why are they important for your health?
Antioxidants are natural compounds that protect your body’s cells from damage caused by oxidative stress. Oxidative stress happens when your body produces unstable molecules called free radicals — byproducts of normal metabolism, environmental exposure, and even stress. If left unchecked, free radicals can damage cells, accelerate aging, and contribute to chronic conditions like heart disease, cancer, and inflammation.
Antioxidants work by neutralizing free radicals, helping to keep your body’s cells strong, healthy, and resilient.
While we often associate antioxidants with colorful fruits and vegetables, high-quality animal products — especially from grassfed animals — are also a powerful source.
Here's a deep dive into the different antioxidants in grassfed beef and their role in nutrition:
Vitamin E (Alpha-tocopherol)
Role:
Protects cell membranes from oxidative damage, strengthens the immune system, and supports skin and eye health.
Why it matters:
Vitamin E acts as a shield for your cells, stabilizing them against stress and helping your body respond to infections more effectively.
Cattle raised on pasture consume green forage rich in natural Vitamin E, leading to higher concentrations in their muscle tissue compared to grain-fed cattle.
Beta-Carotene (Provitamin A)
Role:
Converts into Vitamin A inside the body, essential for vision, immune function, reproduction, and cellular communication.
Why it matters:
Beta-carotene is critical for maintaining strong mucosal barriers (your body's first line of defense against pathogens) and supporting night vision.
Green grasses and legumes are abundant sources of beta-carotene, making grassfed beef naturally more colorful (sometimes with a slight golden hue in the fat) and nutritionally superior.
Glutathione (The Master Antioxidant)
Role:
Repairs damaged cells, detoxifies harmful compounds in the liver, supports immune health, and maintains mitochondrial function.
Why it matters:
Glutathione is critical for deep cellular repair and resilience — it plays a role in almost every major healing process in the body.
Healthy, low-stress cattle raised on pasture develop higher levels of naturally occurring glutathione, which is then passed on through the beef you eat.
Superoxide Dismutase (SOD)
Role:
A powerful enzyme that neutralizes the most dangerous type of free radicals — superoxide radicals — inside cells.
Why it matters:
SOD protects against inflammation, oxidative aging, and cellular stress damage, helping the body maintain balance under environmental pressure.
A diverse, mineral-rich diet for cattle promotes stronger enzyme systems like SOD, naturally enriching the beef.
When cattle are raised on diverse pasture ecosystems, the nutrient density of the forage is passed directly into the beef. Grain-fed cattle, by contrast, have lower levels of these critical antioxidants because of a narrower, carbohydrate-heavy diet.
Every bite of 100% grassfed beef is not just a source of protein — it is a delivery system for powerful antioxidants that strengthen your body's defenses, support faster recovery, and contribute to lifelong wellness.
At Gonsoulin Land and Cattle, we raise our cattle the way nature intended — on pasture, with patience — so your family can enjoy beef that nourishes from the ground up.
Further reading:
What Are Antioxidants? (Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health)
A clear, science-backed introduction to how antioxidants work in your body.
Antioxidants Explained in Simple Terms (Healthline)
A beginner-friendly breakdown of antioxidant types, sources, and effects.
Eat the Rainbow: Colorful Foods, Powerful Benefits (Cleveland Clinic)
Learn why different colors in fruits and veggies often mean different antioxidants.
Polyphenols: The Plant Compounds Behind Many Antioxidants (NIH)
For readers curious about the deeper science behind antioxidant-rich foods.
The Role of Antioxidants in Aging and Disease (Scientific American)
A look at the evolving research into antioxidants, aging, and chronic conditions.
Slow-Cooked Grassfed Beef and Sweet Potato Mash
For Easter this year, this dish brought my family together around the table — and it turned out so well, I knew I had to share it with you.
This isn’t just your average stuffed sweet potato. It’s a slow-cooked, spice-kissed blend of tender grassfed beef, rich sweet potatoes, and a hint of heat and warmth — the kind of meal that feels like home.
Ingredients:
For the Beef:
1 GLC Round Steak (about 3 lbs)
2 lbs GLC Primal Blend beef
1 large onion, chopped
2–3 stalks celery, chopped
2 bell peppers, chopped
1 jalapeño, diced (optional for a little heat)
4 cloves garlic, minced
For the Sweet Potatoes:
About 10 medium sweet potatoes
1 tablespoon molasses
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon garam masala
Salt to taste
Instructions:
1. Prepare the Sweet Potatoes: Bake the sweet potatoes at 400°F until tender (about 45 minutes). Let cool slightly, remove the peels, and use a stick blender to whip them smooth.
Stir in the molasses, ginger, turmeric, garam masala, and a pinch of salt. Set aside.
2. Slow-Cook the Beef: In a large cast iron Dutch oven, add the round steak, primal blend beef, onions, celery, bell peppers, jalapeño, garlic, and a generous sprinkle of dry rub seasoning. Cover and cook at 250°F for about 12 hours, until the meat is fall-apart tender.
3. Combine: Once the meat is done, shred it gently and mix it together with the seasoned sweet potato mash. Adjust seasoning if needed.
4. Serve: Serve warm in a bowl for a rustic presentation — or, for a more formal meal, scoop into roasted sweet potato skins or ramekins for individual servings.
A Note from My Kitchen:
The slow cooking brings out the best in our grassfed beef — deep flavor, incredible tenderness, and nourishment you can feel. The spice blend in the sweet potatoes adds a warm, subtle complexity that pairs beautifully with the richness of the beef. It’s a dish full of tradition, comfort, and Louisiana heart.
I hope you’ll enjoy it as much as we did this Easter!